ONE SHOVEL / such a big hole

YEARS OF JOY AND LITTLE COST-

On a bright summer day about 35 years ago I got my shovel and started digging a large hole in my back yard. My plan was to make a fish pond but I had no idea how to do, so I just dug. Once the hole was big enough I got hold of a friend who ran a pool business, I asked if he had any old pool liners and he said come on over I just happen to have one.

I folded the liner to a double thickness, put it into the hole and added water. From that point I began landscaping the edges with rocks. Most of the rocks were ones I had found along the highway and thrown into the back of my pickup. So far I had no money invested in my project.

I was excited to add fish, but new I had to let the pond set for weeks. In the mean time I purchased some aquatic plants and set them in place. When I finally added fish I bought them from a local bait store. I came home with about five pounds of gold fish for an investment of five dollars.

During the first year the pool liner stood out as unnatural, but in time a layer of algae covered it and the pond began to look real. Since then I have learned that the right balance of plants keeps the water clean so I have no need to run a filtration system. In fact, other than cleaning plant debris in the spring I am amazed how little work is involved.

WINTER-

I took this photo the other day. It shows my pond in its dormant stage. Every Fall I let the aquatic plants die back into the pond. I leave them because they help to protect the fish when the pond freezes over. In a week or two I will spend a day cleaning debris and making the pond ready for Spring. All of the aquatic plants are perennials so with warm weather they will begin growing again.

WARM WEATHER MONTHS-

By late Spring this is what the pond will look like. I grow Water Iris, Water Lilies and Pickerel Rush.

POND LIFE-

One of my favorite things to do is sit by the pond and watch my fish swimming under the lilies. I have to admit, building my pond is one of the best moves I have ever made, it gives me so much pleasure to being around it.